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Exeter Cathedral says au revoir to historic pipe organ

21 January 2013

Restoration: Organ of Exeter CathedralGraeme Kay

Harrison & Harrison of Durham have begun work to restore
the 17th-century organ of Exeter Cathedral.During the period of the Commonwealth (1646-1660), church
music was suppressed and many church
organs, including the previous instrument in Exeter Cathedral, were vandalized
or destroyed. Devon organ builder John Loosemore, whose brothers were
appointed to organist posts at King’s College and Trinity College, Cambridge –
was put in charge of the organ after the Restoration. He was tasked first of
all with repairing the old one – the earliest mention of an organ in Exeter is
in the Fabric Roll of 1286 when a payment was made for casing the organ; in
1513 £165. 5s. 7½d was spent on a new organ to be placed on the screen.
Loosemore went on to complete the building of a new organ in 1665; it underwent
several changes during the next two centuries, but the magnificent case has
survived to this day, having been enlarged at the time of a radical rebuild by
Henry Willis in 1891.Harrisons rebuilt the organ and modernised the action in
1931. The organ was renovated in 1965, with some tonal changes, including the
addition of a Trompette in the Minstrels' Gallery. The organ was cleaned in
1985 and in 2001, essential work was undertaken on the organ, which consisted
of console renovation and localised repairs, together with renewal of the
coupler and piston systems, and the addition of four stops; in 2003, a new
section of the organ was installed in the Minstrels' Gallery.The Cathedral's director of music, Andrew Millington, said
the restoration was overdue, as all organs needed a complete clean and overhaul
every 25 years: 'This intricate and time-consuming operation involves the
dismantling of the instrument, including well over 4000 pipes which have to be
individually cleaned and repaired where necessary.'The Exeter organ has evolved over the centuries, and the
original case now houses about four times the number of pipes than it did in
the 17th century. The interior of the organ is extremely cramped, and some
sections are virtually inaccessible for maintenance. The inside layout of the
organ is to be completely re-designed with new soundboards and a better
projection of sound into the building. Certain intricate moving parts such as
delicate leatherwork will be replaced, and wind leaks rectified. The aim is to
restore this historic and renowned instrument to perfect working order for
future generations.'While the pipe organ is out of action, there will be
replacement digital instruments for the quire and nave; the historic organ case
will remain in the Cathedral throughout the restoration project.Work on the organ has been funded thanks to generous donors
of the Cathedral's Third Millennium Campaign, money raised from last year's
Majesty Flower Festival and the Grand Nave dinner and from the Friends. A large
grant has been awarded by Viridor Credits Environmental Company and supporters
continue to come forward to 'sponsor a pipe'through the 'Leave a note' appeal
to raise money for the project. Fundraising to complete the £1m project through
to completion will carry on throughout this year and next year.The pipework will return to the Cathedral for voicing in
2014. Canon Carl Turner, who is managing the restoration project, said: 'The
iconic nature of the Exeter Cathedral organ means that we are entrusted with an
historical instrument of international significance. But it is far from being a
museum piece, it is a working instrument, used day in and day out in the way it
was intended to by its creator, John Loosemore, in 1665, and we need to ensure
it stays that way.'The organ has been documented and demonstrated in its
current condition in a recent combined DVD and CD publication – The
Grand Organ of Exeter Cathedral – by Priory Records.Graeme Kay